Trainer Sky Blue
by Trainer Sky Blue
Summary: A rising pokemon trainer comes out of the shadows and tries to join the legacy of all the other region champions. Can childish Sky Blue push behind the past and her mom to finally achieve total victory and become Kanto's new champion? Not without some help from her old acquaintance, Red! (Collaboration between Trainer Sky Blue and MewTwo Fan)
1. Chapter 1 (Sky)

Chapter 1

The Beginning May Be The Turning Point

"Ember," I call out in a loud, full of pride voice, "Use Flamethrower!" My arm whipped forward and pointed out towards the trees.

Ember did as directed and pulled back her head to gain the energy needed to unleash thick, ribbon-like flames. Her paws were planted firmly on the soft green grass and I was confident that this would be her best attack yet.

Sure enough, flames long and bright blew out of her mouth and dissipated into midair.

A smile formed on my lips with satisfaction pumping in my blood. Even throughout those 10 seconds, my muscles had tensed up so much and a shiver was able to traverse down my spine. This time, I could honestly say that being tense and shivering at the sight of flames wasn't due to fear.

However I knew better than to fear Ember's flames, I mean she was just a small Vulpix who meant no harm. Not to mention she had been the house pet for about 3 years now, so trust had also played a part in this new sensation.

Ember twisted her head back to look at me for approval. Like the happy-go-lucky girl I was, I jumped up and down laughing like a maniac put on happy gas. Sure, it wasn't the most mature nor attractive thing to do, but I was in the moment.

She smiled back and turned to jump up at down with me as we celebrated even the smallest of achievements. It didn't really matter anyways because we were isolated from the rest of people who lurked throughout Viridian Forest.

I let out a small chuckle and scooped up Ember, holding her close to my chest. Her warmth reminisced from her hard work in training and I couldn't help but smile more. Holding her brought back vivid memories of when we first got her.

About three years ago, I remembered always coming home from school to a weak and sick Vulpix crying out for help. Many people would pass by her, hoping she would one day leave but nothing happened.

Ember would sit under the same tree when it would rain, shivering and whimpering for help. The poor thing was sightless as well; her eyes were sealed shut by crust formed from pink eye. Scrawny, dirty, and helpless poor Ember got worse in the next few days and still, no one decided to help her.

I couldn't stand it any longer, so one day after school, I decided to sneak her into the house while my mom was at work. She shivered in my hands as I placed her in the sink and gave her a nice long bath. After that, I ran to the Pokemon Center to make sure she had all the vaccines needed to meet the criteria of being healthy.

Everything was great until my mom came home to see me with the germ infested Vulpix that lingered Veridian city.

"SKY, this is unacceptable!" my mother had yelled in utter distraught. Her deep midnight eyes were glued on me while her hands would clench and unclench with frustration, "why in the world would you bring in this filthy creature into my house?!"

I still held Ember close to me as I spoke; she showed no reaction to my mother's words.

"Ember is not a filthy creature!" I defended, only raising my voice a tad bit so I wouldn't startle her.

My mother's eyes widened at my response. Her arms slipped into one another as she furrowed her eyebrows at me. "Did you just call it…? Ember…?"

I nod hesitantly, holding Ember slightly tighter as my muscles slightly tensed up in intimidation. "Actually… Ember is a she and-!"

"SKY BLUE, you know what happens when you name a pokemon! You become attached to it." Her voice was cold and sharp like a knife slicing through the thin air.

My hands placed Ember onto the ground lightly and she scampered to my leg to hide from my mom. Her thick fluffy tail brushed against the bare skin of my leg like a paint brush against a canvas

"Is that a bad thing?" I say in a voice just as bitter, my sweaty palms clenching in frustration. "This is my first pokemon, every other kid my age is already out and about traveling and training while I'm stuck at home with you." My voice turns lower and more concise as my mom's reaction changed drastically.

Her eyebrows rise and her arms slowly loosen and hang by her sides. "Sky…" her voice cracks and the lump in her throat disappear into the tears that slide down her soft cheeks. "I was only trying to be a good mother… ever since your dad died-"

Before she could finish her sentence, I give her a huge hug, tears filling up my eyes giving off a burning sensation. Her over protectiveness was now understood, but I felt that with Ember by my side, it was a sign that I wasn't going to stay young forever. We wept over the loss of my father for another few minutes before making Ember feel at ease at our house.

Yesterday was the day when she was finally able to let me go and live my life as a pokemon trainer. It was a bittersweet farewell, but I knew that she was happy for me and I could finally live the life I wanted to live.

Ember leaps out of my arms and turns her head to look at me with a huge smile on her face. Her calling urges me to continue on with our training and I do just that.

I suck in some air and fill up my lungs with all the pride and joy I was able to muster up. Putting up my sky blue hood I whip my arm forward and call out "EMBER, use Flamethrower!"

One of her back paws took a step back and she whipped her head back proudly unleashing multiple heavy set ribbons of flames towards the set of trees that formed a wall right in front of us. The flames gave off a radiant light and the heat surrounded Ember.

A second later, the flames disappeared in midair and the whole forest fell silent.

That's when I heard a _Thump!_

It was muffled, probably due to the fact that it could have come from a few trees away. Not much longer later, the sound of buzzing stirred throughout the forest's air.

The faint sound of fast flapping wings stirred into the mixture of confusion and angry Beedrills popped up from the vast columns of trees.

Both Ember and I let out shrieks of terror as their eyes met ours. Looking through the small gaps between the trees, I saw a poor kukuna on fire. By now, the golden color had disappeared and the comb became black, thin and brittle.

Death, all I could see was death.

I held Ember tight and the two of us closed our eyes, unable to bear what was going to happen next. Their wing flapping and buzzing got louder and it began to pound in my head.

"Charizard use Flamethrower!" a new voice, a familiar voice broke out in the middle of nowhere.

I look to see a familiar face, a face I hadn't seen in years. The guy looked back at me and we made eye contact. While his Charizard was killing off the crowd of Beedrills, I was able to study him.

His choppy dark hair reached past his ears and frames his face lightly. His piercing red eyes took my breath away and I knew right away who he was. If that didn't hit me in the face about who he was, his jeans and red and white unzipped jacket did.

I knew he could hear me because a smile grew on his flawless lips when I whispered  
"Red?"


	2. Chapter 2 (Sky)

Chapter 2

Do you remember me? Lost for so long.

"R-Red…" I found myself murmur in sort of a strange dream like voice. For some reason, my voice sounded raspy and light and everything was pitch black.

Then I woke up in a hospital bed, gauze wrapped around my left arm nice and tight to the point where I felt like there was a good chance I may lose circulation. My head felt light when I sat up and the room slowly began to spin like an amusement park ride.

"W-What just happened…?" I ask myself as I brush back my bangs in between my pale, thin fingers. Nothing right now was adding up, how the hell could I possibly be in the hospital if I had seen Red just a few minutes ago?

The room was simple, white and rectangular. The walls were fading and paintings of various pokemon hung perfectly straight. A glossy wooden nightstand, stood right beside me and held a small bouquet of flowers in the most complex designed vase I've ever seen. I felt like my mom came into this room because everything seemed too clean and I remember far too well about her OCD for cleanliness.

I lifted up my head to see a mirror right in front of me and I saw a girl staring at me. Her hair was slightly messed up. Sort of like Spinarak beginning to spin its web consisting of light caramel strands of hair. Her skin was fair and her body was rather thin and tall like a natural born athlete. Bangs framed her face like a mane and her face thin. The only thing that was possibly worth noticing was her rose colored lips and cloudless sky blue eyes surrounded by long chocolate brown eye lashes.

"So this is what I look like…" I murmur to myself, fondling with my bangs again as I could feel myself becoming more self-conscious. My fingers strummed through my wiry hair, each strum losing strands as they feel back by my stomach.

"I think you look lovely." Nurse Joy commented in a cheerful chime, holding a clipboard against her dress. She smiled her signature smile and checked my arm, her fingers pressing lightly against my bare skin. Her smile melted away as she felt for swelling. Nurse Joy's eyes met mine and her smile came back. "Your swelling is gone so I'd say everything is how it should be. You and your Vulpix can be discharged now."

Then it hit me.

"Oh my god, Ember!" I exclaim, not meeting her eyes anymore. "What happened to us, why in the world are we here?" I look back at Nurse Joy who was surprised to see me react like a mother who lost her child.

"You and your pokemon were poisoned by a Beedrill. After the Beedrill stung you two, you ended up passing out and a young man brought you here. You know, you are very lucky-"

"Where is he?" my voice turned hasty and I sprung to my feet, tugging down on my crimson red skirt to hide anything appealing to men.

"He just left a few minute ago and-"

"BYE!" I yelled, cutting her off as I sprinted out of the room to hear her shouting back at me.

"Wait, Wait!"

Nope, I couldn't wait; my life depended on this chance. I had to see him, but first I needed Ember.

Lightly panting, I hear small footsteps following me and tapping against the wooden floor. Looking down beside me was my trusting sidekick Ember who was just as determined as I was to see Red.

We skipped down the side stairs and slammed the door open to see the figure of the familiar young man who had saved our butts back in the Veridian Forest.

"RED!" I called out on the top of my lungs, even though I was panting hard and my throat began to burn. The burning sensation spread like a wild fire and I bent over to catch my breath.

My eyes stared down at the ground as I pathetically gasped for precious air, Ember leaned on my leg to comfort me. I knew Red was still there, because his shadow was able to reach the side of my eye. All was well when his shadow grew in height and width, it was two times as big as before.

I dared myself to lift up my head to see a giant Charizard watching me with very stern eyes. His stare caused my body to jump and I let out a small shriek. My heart began to pound against my chest and tears welled up in my eyes.

"Papa…" I whisper in a raspy voice, bowing my head down I feel the memories pour into my head.

The casket, him lying in there with third degree burns all over his face and hands. He looked so peaceful the last time I saw him.

Patches of black and brittle skin, blisters on every inch of his skin, he looked nothing like my old dad. However, his faded charcoal black hair with slight gray highlights was an easy indication to tell me that he was mine. Nobody else that I knew would have hair as long as his, slicked back in a ponytail.

I remember being 9 years old at the time and watching my mom sob over the sight of my dad. During the funeral, she'd run out of the room and lose her mind. Screams and cries could be heard as she pleaded for Arceus to come and bring him back to life. However, I knew better and would look down at my dad. I whispered my last goodbyes before they buried him in Lavender Town. That was where we found was it to be more suitable for him since he was always intrigued by Ghost types.

All of this happened because of a stupid Charizard. It was the reason why he died… It was the reason why I became afraid of fire and lost half of my childhood.

Lifting up my head and pushing away any tears that had slipped out and looked the Charizard in the eyes with the same expression.

Unphased, the Charizard let out a load roar and startled me by knocking me over and landing on the ground. I began to shiver as the Charizard stomped closer to me and lowered his neck to look at me. His mouth unhinged as he took a deep breath before letting out another roar, and I pushed myself back against a building.

Was this the end of me?

Ember was nowhere in sight and I could feel the thoughts of my father come back to me.

"Charizard, no." said Red in a calm voice as he walked towards me and his Charizard. His hands outstretched to hold his pokemon by his snout and pet him from the forehead down. Charizard's eyes softened when they met Red's and he felt ashamed when Red silently scolded him.

Ember scampered to my side and jumped into my arms. I really didn't know whether or not to yell at her for not being by my side or hug her for being glad that I was still alive.

Red's eyes met mine and I studied him for a couple of moments.

In the back of my mind, I began to doubt myself on whether or not he remembered me. We hadn't seen each other for about six years and I was pretty sure he met too many people to even recall any memories of me.

I remember seeing him on TV when he was competing in tournaments. My mom would have me sit in the living room and watch him for hours on end. I would watch him and feel serious jealousy over the freedom he was given. Watching him win rounds and compete against everyone was like getting your teeth pulled out by the dentist. It would just eat away at me to see him so alive and so strong. Honestly, I wanted to be just like him.

I wanted nothing more than to be that girl who became a household name for following her dreams.

I mean if Red could do it, why couldn't I?

A smile grew on his flawless face as he stopped petting his Charizard's head.

"Nice to see you again Sky."


	3. Chapter 3 (Red)

Chapter 3

Fade To Red

I stared with amusement at the girl in front of me.  
She had called out to me, perhaps with a thank you of some sort, but I wouldn't know. Charizard became startled at her voice and took up a defensive gesture in front of me. He let out a ferocious roar, sweeping the poor girl off her feet. I couldn't help chuckling ever so slightly, but stopped as soon as I saw her face.  
The fear, the pain in her eyes was obvious.  
Charizard frightened her more than he should have, and for reasons unknown to me. She started to cry, which made Charizard a little guilty because he tried to nuzzle her, which only scared her even further. I approached them and told Charizard not to feel too guilty. My attention then turned to the girl who was looking up at me. I noticed her Vulpix scurry to its trainer, making sure she was okay. I smiled at this.  
Such a wonderful bond that they shared. Just like I did with Pooka. She then turned back to me, and I suddenly remembered who she was.  
It was the day I started my journey. I was at the edge of pallet town, about to begin my quest, when a loud voice found me.  
"Red!" I turned to see a little girl a few years younger than me racing towards me. I smiled when I saw that it was Sky, my best friend.  
She stopped in front of me and tried to catch her breath, upon which I chuckled. She finally regulated her breathing and stood up.  
"Red, it's finally time."  
"Yes," I replied. "it is."  
She smiled softly, before tears started to show in her eyes. "You're leaving..." she spoke sadly, the tears starting to flow down her cheeks.  
I became a little choked up myself. "Yes..." she hugged me tightly, as I hugged her, and we stood there for what seemed to be an eternity.  
She eventually let go of me, wiping her eyes. "Red...Promise me something." She said, her voice confident.  
I smiled and replied. "Of ."  
Taking a deep breath, she told me with fire in her eyes, "Take me on a journey some day!"  
I was shocked. Sky wanted to be a trainer? She was so fragile...But I couldn't show that. She would feel decimated. Nor could I turn her down.  
"I promise Sky." I touched my forehead to her's in our signature display of friendship. She smiled widely and jumped up and down. I laughed at her excitement. She then stopped her wild release of happiness, and gave me one last hug goodbye.  
I then turned towards route one, and took my first steps into the world beyond Pallet. It had been so long since I had been back to Kanto.  
I hadn't seen or heard from anyone in so long. My mother...I hope she was okay. I had gotten so caught up in my journey that she had simply slipped my mind. I felt extremely guilty about this. Professor Oak and I have had a few conversations since I left. He was there to watch the Pokemon World Tournament. I heard it made frequent visits to Sinnoh and Johto. And Blue, I grinned to myself. My old rival, from what I had heard, ran the Viridian City gym. He apparently had spruced it up a little, adding a puzzling way to get to the end.

I chuckled softly. Seems fate had wanted me to come back. Charizard getting tired over Viridian City was more than coincidence. I was glad to see Sky again.  
She had grown a lot since we last met. Her hair had become long and luscious, becoming a gentle light blue. She had gotten taller, I had noted. And her eyes...They were mesmerizing.  
I found myself getting lost in them, having to pull myself back into reality.  
I helped her up and onto her feet, calling Charizard back into his Pokeball. Upon then, Pooka, who had been watching everything from the sidelines, approached the Vulpix and started a greeting.  
I smiled, noting how they already seemed to get along, and looked back at Sky, who seemed to be happy to see me.  
I chuckled before asking "Ready to begin that Journey I promised?"


	4. Chapter 4 (Sky)

Chapter 4

Let the wind lead you

"Y-You remembered…?" I muttered in a hoarse voice, clearing up my throat after being caught off guard.

Red grew a smile that reached cheek to cheek on his face and nods calmly without saying a single word. The mysterious silent type, just how I remembered him.

Ember brushed against my leg and I looked into Red's ruby eyes and met his smile with mine. I couldn't help my emotions, a shiver of excitement and energy filled every cell of my body.

_He remembered…_

I felt my body take over me and I push myself close to Red and snaked my arms around him for a tight hug. His warm body pressed against mine and I pressed my cheek against his black shirt.

At first his body tensed up in surprise and I felt the world fall silent and still for a moment. Then he copied my embrace and held me in his arms like a lost Lillipup.

I'd say we stayed like this for a good 5 seconds before I looked up at his more mature face and added "I missed you so much…"

His eyes softened and a charming smile shown on his face as his fingers strummed through my silky hair. I felt my arms slightly tremble and my heart beat rise gradually as the seconds ticked away. This feeling was something so indescribable; however I knew it so well.

It had been years since I felt so complete, it was almost overwhelming. Staring into his eyes, I saw myself… and him back when we were kids. He was always there for me and we did almost everything together.

Ever since he left, I've been so alone…

I untangled myself from his loose grip and looked down at Ember who leaped in my arms.

"So where are we off to?" I asked in an unexpectedly sweet voice, holding Ember close to my chest. Talking to Red was a bit more difficult than I had remembered.

Red whipped his finger towards the cardinal direction of Pallet Town "There, I need to make a couple of visits. Also, you need to catch more pokemon if we're going to have you go against any gym leader." He explained in a matter of fact tone.

I nod and opened my mouth to say something, but before I could get a word out, another voice interrupted me.

"SKY!" The loud voice echoed through the rows of buildings.

Red and I turned to the direction of the voice to see a fair skinned older lady appear. Ember leaped out of my arms and hid behind my legs for protection.

Her hair reached right below her jaw line and curled in a slight arch to frame her face. The wind from her running made her hair look shorter than it appeared and her faded gray eyes stared right into mine. She wore a short floral sundress that reached above her knees and came to a hult as soon as she reached me. The lady was a few inches taller than me and held out a small waist bag.

"Sky, my dear, you left this at home and I got so worried about you and-!" My mom said in a nervous, high pitched tone. Her words came out fast and I knew that only I could understand her rambling when her nerves were driven this far up the wall. She caught her breath and turned her head towards Red and gasped.

The next thing I knew, she slapped the waist pack into my hands and go onto her toes to hold Red's cheeks.

Red's eyes grew wide and I knew he was slightly startled by my mom's reaction.

"Red is that you?" she asked in a slower, yet energetic voice. In another gasp for air, she kept on chattering without giving Red an opportunity to answer her question. "My, My, you have gotten so big! How have you been? Sky and I have been watching you back at home and we have seen all of your-!"

"Mom!" I yelled, trying to save Red from the spaz that is my mom. Her grip loosened from Red's cheeks and she turned around to look at me. Red let out a small sigh of relief behind her and I couldn't help from letting out a small chuckle. "Mom, what did I tell you about giving me some space. I'm traveling on my own now and-."

Before I could say anything else, she threw herself on me and held me tight. My arms wrapped around her and she began to rub my back lightly.

"Oh honey… I'm so sorry, saying 'goodbye' is hard, you know? Especially when the circumstances have come down to me being home alone…" she pulled back to look me in the eyes and she gave a small and weak smile. Tears formed by the edge of her eyes and she sniffled. "I'm sure you don't understand now, but when you have your own kids-!"

I pushed my mom away from me and felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment along with Red's. "Okay mom that's enough."

Knowing her, she forced another hug and let out another pleasant chuckle before letting me go. "Sky, I wish you the best of luck and I want you to be safe."

"I will…" I answered in a quiet voice as tears began to well up in my eyes and my lips began to slightly tremble.

"Good girl…" her voice became low and soothing as she pressed her warm lips against my smooth forehead and began to walk away. She turned back and wave, before saying her last words. "Call me whenever you get the chance…"

"I-I will…" I silently promised to myself before boing my head and wiping away my tears.

I felt a hand touch my back and looked up to see Red comforting me. I smiled slightly to show that I was still happy. He returned the smile and when I my eyes looked into the direction of where my mom had left, she disappeared.

I sniffled and wiped the last of my tears before standing up straight and walking into the direction of Pallet Town.

Red was caught in the moment and walked beside me with Pooka resting on his shoulder. "Where are you going?" he asked in a quiet and calm voice as he tried to keep up with me.

"Pallet Town, Of course!" I proclaim in a cheerful voice as my hands began to fiddle with the waist pack's belt. My eyes looked down at the belt and I slipped the buckle through the hole to have it rest on my hips.

Ember looked up at me with a needy look on her face. So I scooped her up and set her on my shoulder just like Red did with Pooka.

The two of us began walking through the city for a bit in total silence before Red finally spoke.

"Hey Sky, back when your mom was telling you about how hard it was leaving her, what happened to your dad…?"

Oh boy…


	5. Chapter 5 (Sky)

Chapter 5 (Sky)

For The Love Of A Daughter

Red's eyes were glued onto mine as my whole body language changed. I felt my body shudder and I drew in a small breath. My eyes would barely look into his direction for I knew that this was going to be a difficult explanation.

"You don't have to tell me if… you don't want to…" Red answered in a calm and low tone. My eyes met his and I could immediately tell that he knew my pain.

He didn't have to say much to make me understand how he felt and what was on his mind. His scarlet eyes studied my light blue eyes and a sigh escaped my lips. I broke our eye contact as tears welled up in my eyes. A lump in my throat began to form while my mind thumbed through the memories of my father. I tried so hard to regain my composure, but I knew these tears were inevitable so I put my head down and walked silently for a few moments.

Red walked beside me,brushing my hair with his hand

"Come on…" he soothed, wrapping his arms around me in a hug

We stood there for a couple of moments and Ember brushed her rough, thick fur against my leg for comfort.

I looked up at Red and rubbed my tears away from my now wet, warm cheeks. Sucking in one more sniffle, I finally spoke.

"N-No… you have the right t-to know…" I muttered in a quiet, hoarse voice. The lump in my throat turned into gravel as I continued. "It's just so painful…"

My fingers slid through my bangs to push them from my face as we began to walk again, Red held my hand to his side to show that I had his support.

Looking up at the trail before us, I pushed myself to give off a fairly detailed explanation.

"R-Remember… whenever you came over to my house, it would usually be just me and my mom…?" I began in a weaker voice; my eyes began to water up more. The horizon and everything surrounding me became a huge blurr.

"Mhm…" Red answered back. His voice rose from his throat and sounded wholesome and warm like freshly baked cookies.

Everything blended with one another and I felt almost blind, even wiping away the tears still didn't make my vision clear.

"M-My dad was a-a photographer… R-R-Remember…?" I paused for a moment to see him nod from the corner of my eye. I smiled slightly at the fact that he would still remember such a thing and kept going. "I-I never really got to see him a lot since h-he traveled around every region… a-and when I did… we'd do e-everything together."

"Sounds like he was a great dad…" Red mused.

I hesitated to answer that statement because there was more to this story than I was willing to tell Red.

"Y-Yeah he was…" I murmured and trailed off with this small white lie. "A-And I remember that the last travel h-he went on… h-he was supposed to be gone for a month…"

Both Red and Pooka's eyes went wide, and I simply nodded, wanting to finish this story as soon as possible.

"T-This trip… However… was a trip with some of his old friends. H-He had called the week before, to tell me that h-he was going t-to come home soon…so I waited… and waited… and a week after he was s-supposed to come back… h-his friends came to our house…"

Tears ran down my cheeks and I began to sniffle.

Red rubbed my back as I remembered his friends sitting on our couch uncomfortably as they came to tell us the news.

"Th-They said to us… During our trip… we came across a w-wild Ch-Charizard… Y-Your husband t-tried taking a photo of it… and he seemed to have startled it… before we were able t-to pull him a-away… The Charizard ended up using a Flamethrower a-and burned him t- to death…"

Before I could say another word, I covered my face with my hands and sobbed violently. Red stopped walking and held me tight

"So that's why you were afraid of Charizard…" Red murmured into the quiet air.

Everything fell silent as I kept on sobbing.

The memories of his burial, his death, the way he looked before he was buried filled my head. The screaming of my mother when she heard the news pounded in my head and the sight of my dad's two friends holding her back as the paramedics took my dad to the hospital consumed me. I remember only chaos and agony.

It was too painful and I felt like I was coming close to a mental break down. This wasn't what a nine year old girl was supposed to see. This wasn't how she was supposed to see her father after a much anticipated return. My heart broke, everything broke, I was broken.

If I could explain that to Red, or anyone to that matter, they truly wouldn't understand why something like this still hurt me so much. There was still more to the story than I was willing to tell.

I pushed the memories to the back of my head and tried to get my act back together. Looking up again, I met Red's eyes again and he wiped away my tears using his slightly rough fingers.

I smiled slightly and looked down, blushing lightly because of his genuine reaction.

"S-Sorry…" I hick in a small voice, embarrassed by my crying.

"Sorry for what? You shouldn't be sorry for your emotions." He answered softly.

All I could do was nod and continue walking towards Pallet Town.


	6. Chapter 6 (Red)

Chapter 6

One Step Closer

The walk to Pallet Town was...awkward. Sky had kept silent the whole time, choosing the ground as the most beautiful scenery on the route. Pooka would occasionally nudge my leg, hinting that I should lighten the mood. But I wasn't used to conversation. The only beings that usually heard my voice were my Pokemon, and still that wasn't often.

I was always a silent type of person, choosing to speak through actions instead of words. But I knew that was a habit that I should break. Perhaps with Sky around, it wouldn't be too difficult.

Speaking of, she had finally warmed up again and began to question my reasoning for returning to Pallet.

"Well...I owe my Mother a visit..."I replied.

"Have you not talked to her in a while?" She asked her eyes bewildered at such a reason.

I sighed. "Not in five years."

I dodged an expected slap to the face, causing Sky to almost trip. Grinning, I caught her mid fall and helped her up. She huffed in annoyance, either at what I told her or the blush staining her face.

"Why would you not talk to your Mother for a five whole year!?" She shouted at me. I didn't quite know the answer myself.

Shrugging, I gave the best answer I could.

"I forgot..."

Sky seemed to get only more infuriated, and punched me in the shoulder, before crossing her arms. It wasn't that hard of a punch but after traveling for so long I had grown a higher tolerance for pain.

I kept my face solemn the whole time, but I had to admit: She still had a mean right hook.

We soon arrived at the entrance to my hometown. Nothing had changed, I had noticed.

Everything was the same as when I had left. We walked into town and I looked at my house. I decided to see my mother later, and walked towards the Professor's laboratory. I had to make priorities.

Sky followed me, "Shouldn't we be visiting your mother?" she questioned.

" Yes, but there is someone else I need to see." We walked into the building, which was full of aides and such.

I asked an aide checking a Voltorb if he knew where Oak was.

"In the ranch outside." He told me politely before the Voltorb exploded in his face.

Sky covered her mouth, trying not to laugh at the poor man's predicament.

I found it just as funny, and had trouble keeping a straight face.

We left the man and headed outside, where I spotted the Professor. He was trying to stop a Heracross from suckling on a Bulbasaur's flower bud. He saw us and widened his eyes, approaching at a brisk pace.

" Red?" He asked.

"It's nice to see you again Professor." He laughed and shook my hand

"And it's nice to see you, too!" He then looked at Sky.

"Oh? And who might you be?" She smiled and offered her hand.

"My name is Sky, Red's friend. I just started my Journey."

Professor Oak smiled wide. "Well that's quite a treat! Come inside."

We followed Oak into the laboratory, where he was waiting near his desk. "Since you just started your journey, I felt at home to give you these."

He held out his hands, which contained five Pokeballs and a Pokedex. Sky looked surprise but took them anyway.

" W-wow Professor...Thank you."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all my dear." He said smiling."

I see you have a Vulpix."He knelt down and pet Ember, earning a purr in return.

"And Pooka!" he said, scratching Pooka on the ear.

I smiled.

"So, me all about your adventure."

And for the next hour, I told Oak and Sky about my journey. Oak seemed thrilled at the types of Pokemon I encountered.

However, Sky was even more entranced.

She hung onto my every word, engrossed in the adventures I had been on.

She and Oak were surprised when I told them I had met legendary Pokemon.

I didn't go into more detail than that, for I had promised not to disclose their location. I told them about my journey around the Kanto and Johto region, my defeating of Team Rocket, and even the heated battle between me and Gary at the Indigo Plateau.

Oak never got to hear what happened. Gary ran off and so did I. By the time I was done, the sun was closing in on the horizion.

We said our goodbyes to the Professor and made our way to my Mother's. Sky sensed my anxiety and patted my shoulder.

"It'll be okay." She said.

I could only nod. I pulled out a key (Slightly rusted from my traveling), and unlocked the door, stepping inside.

We saw a woman sitting in the living room, staring down at a crossword puzzle. She was a middle aged woman, but still looked young and vibrant. I cleared my throat and she gasped, looking up swiftly. Her eyes widened as she stared, seeming to ponder if this was real or not. She slowly stood and approached me, her eyes glued to mine. She stood a few inches from where I was, staring right through me.

Then, without warning, she slapped me across the face as hard as she could. Sky gasped in astonishment, but I simply stood there. The woman's eyes started to water, before she pulled me into a tight embrace.

"You're home..."


	7. Chapter 7 (Sky)

Shadows of You

Chapter 7

You could hear a pin drop while Red and his mom held each other in their arms.

Pooka looked up at me with a slightly worried expression painted on his face, wondering if this woman was to be of any threat.

It had taken me a second to understand that Pooka had never met Red's mom so I gave a warm smile and a soft giggle to demonstrate that this lady wasn't all that bad. Even if she did slap him on the face, she had an obvious reason and in the back of my mind, I was hoping that he understood that.

Red's mom pulled away from her son and sniffled, wiping tears away with her wrist and giving off a smile that created faint wrinkles at the end of her lips. Her eyes studied Red's face for a couple of seconds, caressing it softly as if this was all a dream.

Red returned his mom's smile, and she let out a soft chuckle then her eyes shifted from her son to me. Her hands fell slowly off of his face and she began so shuffle gracefully towards me.

"S-Sky….? Is that r-really you…?" Red's mom murmured in a smooth voice that seemed to create a shiver down my spine.

My eyes met her steadily and I could tell she was slightly confused by my almost emotionless reaction.

She stood in front of me and her eyebrows pulled together into a "V" shape while she scanned my whole entire body.

I started to feel a bit ashamed myself for not ever visiting her after Red left. I bit my lip rather hard in thought of how lonely she probably was with no one in her house.

"Y-Yes… its me…" I answered in a quiet and unsure voice. Her eyebrows rose and her eyes met mine. My teeth lost grip off of my bottom lip and my mind grew into a huge tizzy on how she would react to my answer.

Red's mom quickly pulled her arm back to punch me in the arm where I had gotten stung by that Beedrill. When our skin met, I heard a loud "whack" and by the force, I began to lose balance. Tipping over, Ember fell off my shoulder and Red ran to catch me.

"Mother!" Red called out in rather louder than usual voice as he held onto my shoulders to put me back to position. His mom smiled at the two of us and began to laugh with more tears in her eyes. Both him and I exchanged the same confused expression on our faces.

She covered her mouth and her laughing died down to another chuckle. Her eyes looked at the two of us in an amused manner. She looked down to watch Pooka assist Ember back onto her paws.

"Oh Sky Blue," Red's mom sighed with a childish twinkle in her eyes. "You're the same wimp I still remember, please, come and stay a while. We need to catch up on things."

She directed us towards the couches and we all took a seat. Red and I sat on one couch, with Ember on my lap and Pooka on his. For some reason Red sat closer to me than expected and our thighs pressed against each other. My cheeks flushed at his warmth and I tensed in my half of the small couch while he slumped nonchalantly.

Red's mom offered us some tea and sat in the couch across from us. She sat with her legs crossed and her back up straight in proper posture. We sat there for a good minute of silence before she had urged us to tell her our stories.

Since, I didn't have much to say, I went first and pretty much filled her in with everything I had told Red. However, I didn't go into that much detail with the story about my dad because I knew that I wasn't emotionally stable.

Red's mom gave me a hug when she heard the story and asked me if I need anything. Keeping quiet, I shook my head and asked if Red could take over the story telling.

After a couple of hours of storytelling, Red caught that I was being very impatient. I squirmed within my section of the couch, only making things worse since we were practically squished in that couch. Both Red and his mom watched me as I tried to get back to original position, Ember groaned on the arm of the couch since she couldn't handle my constant shifting. My cheeks began to burn and I started to feel bad again.

This was Red and his mom's only time to spend together and I was ruining it by becoming restless. However, Red understood how I felt as if he had telepathy and began to wrap up his oh so interesting story of how he defeated Unova's champion Alder.

I swear I have never heard Red talk so much in his life; however I'm pretty sure he wasn't all that happy that he had to repeat his life from the past 5 years.

That's when he started preaching about how he was going to take me on my own adventure. Red's mom's eyes were brightened with surprised and amusement. Almost mischievous, until she threw out an unusual suggestion through her soft giggles.

"So honey, do you have a girlfriend?"

Immediately, Red and I shuddered at such a question and almost automatically, I stood up and proclaimed. "I think it's time to go!"

Both of our cheeks flushed and Red shook his head, standing up and rubbing my arm to calm me down. Ember and Pooka both exchanged confused looks at each other and Red's mom stood up to walk towards her son.

"Please, stay…" pleaded Red's mom as she gently caressed his cheeks once more.

Red's eyes didn't meet his mom's and Pooka leaped onto his shoulder as if he was agreeing with me. Ember and I watched Red carefully to see how he would react to this.

Finally, Red's eyes met his mom's and he shook his head.

"I made a promise to Sky and I have to keep it…" Red uttered in a small voice.

Red's mom's eyes began to fill with tears and I bit my lip feeling guilty.

"…but, I promise when I come back from our adventure, I'll stay with you for a while." Red continued to finish with a seemingly genuine promise.

His mom's eyes flicked right back to Red and she let it sit into her head for a couple of seconds to finally agree with his promise. She gave him one last tight hug and handed us some food before we left her house.

The two of us didn't say much after we left and now we were off to none other than Pewter city. After all that time at his mom's house, I'd say it was early in the afternoon so I knew that the two of us had to seriously make up for the lost time.

As we walked through the route's a loud, gruff voice called for us from behind.

"Hey kid's you have something that we want!"


End file.
